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Checking the Facts: Authenticity, innovation, and the media in the wake of a pandemic.

In this webinar skilled analysts discuss the “pandemic” of COVID-19-era misinformation around the world. In South Africa in 2020 the state issued a warning that: “Anyone that creates or spreads fake news about the Coronavirus COVID-19 is liable for prosecution. Verify the information before you share information.” Despite this injunction, and similar warnings issued  by other states,. this pandemic has created the perfect conditions for misinformation and an attack on truth. Some politicians and many shadowy and some openly operating entities are siding with lies. These questions: “why is this happening?;” and “how do we slow the deception?” point us to debates about truth and a free press already bubbling up before 2020. Here the place of health, medical and scientific knowledge in a changing world is at the centre.  On October 8 the Nobel Committee awarded the Peace Prize for 2021 to Maria Ressa and Dmitry Muratov for their efforts to safeguard freedom of expression, which many see as a precondition for democracy and lasting peace. Across the world journalists hailed Ms Ressa and Mr Muratov for their courageous fight for freedom of expression and professional press ethics, and claimed them as representatives of all journalists who stand up for this ideal. Today we discuss how and why the The COVID-19 pandemic has amplified the importance of the so-called Fourth Estate, and reminded us of the importance of organisations such as Africa Check, and the innovations that lie ahead for us in the post pandemic world of information and news.


Additional Resources

Dr Dinesh Balliah

Dinesh is the Acting Director of the WITS Centre for Journalism. Her qualifications include a BA Hons, and Masters degree from UKZN;  and a Diploma in Globization and the Information Society, from the University of Michigan;  and she completed her PHD in 2021, in Journalism and Media Studies at WITS. Dinesh is the former deputy public advocate of the Press Council of South Africa. She currently is chair of the board of the Health-e News Service and is an advisory committee member of the South African Media Innovation Project (SAMIP), run by the New York- based MDIF (Media Development Investment Fund) and is a member of the editorial advisory committee at Newzroom Afrika. Dinesh is the coordinator of the mid-career honours in journalism program at Wits Journalism. Her research focus is on digital journalism and social media. In 2017 she was awarded a “Learning Award” for excellence in postgraduate teaching at Wits;  she sits on the Wits Senate Committees on Information and Communication Technologies, and the 足球竞彩app排名. Over the last few years, Dinesh has participated as a judge for the “Standard Bank Sikuvile Awards for Journalism Excellence”, the “Forum for Community Journalists Awards” and “Diageo Responsible Drinking Media Awards”. Dinesh was the Head of the Department of IT for Humanities at Wits University and was instrumental in conceptualising and developing a new three year degree in Media Studies/IT for Humanities. She is also a keen amateur photographer tweets about the media, journalism and other matters using the handle @DineshBalliah



Kate Wilkinson

Kate Wilkinson joined Africa Check as a researcher in July 2013. Her main research areas include education, immigration, crime and viral social media hoaxes. In 2018, she discovered an error in the South African police service’s annual crime statistics, which led to an official revision. She leads the organisation’s media work, with regular appearances on local and international television and radio. Her work also involves training African journalists on verification and research techniques. In 2017, she developed a programme which taught school children how to decipher fact from fiction on social media. The Mail and Guardian named her one of its Top 200 Young South Africans in 2013. Topics I covered included crime, child hunger, human trafficking, election promises, electricity provision, population estimates, HIV/AIDS, drinking in Africa and mining diseases. Areas of particular interest included education and sexual violence in South Africa.



Janus van As

He is a Higher Education specialist with over 10 years’ experience in the administration and management of teaching and learning activities. He gained this experience in the Business, Medical, Science and Education faculties at four different universities. Janus gained experience in blended learning, technology implementation and management, curriculum development and faculty development/professional learning by working as a Academic and Blended Learning Coordinator, Head of Learning Technologies, Course Coordinator of Science Academic Literacy and, as the Programme Administrator of the Postgraduate Certificate of Education. During his career, Janus developed expertise in blended learning curriculum development, instructional design, technology implementation, assessment, organisational development, change management, quality improvement, policy-making, compliance, strategy development, leadership, finance and project management.

 

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